The University of Virginia has agreed to a $9 million settlement with the families of the victims of a campus shooting in 2022 that resulted in the deaths of three football players and injuries to two other students. The families of D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler, and Lavel Davis Jr. will each receive $2 million, the maximum allowed under Virginia law, while a total of $3 million will be split between the two wounded students, Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan. Despite the settlement, some families are demanding the immediate release of an independent investigation completed last year, which focused on the university’s assessment of the shooter’s threat potential and recommendations for the future.
The shooting was carried out by Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a UVA student and former football team member, who was charged with murder following the incident. According to attorney Kimberly Wald, who represents some of the victims’ families, the university should have recognized the potential danger posed by Jones Jr.’s erratic and unstable behavior prior to the attack. The families believe that there is still much to be learned from the investigation report that was completed last year and are urging the university to release it to prevent similar events from occurring in the future.
The settlement agreement was reached outside of court without the filing of a lawsuit, but it still needed to be approved by a judge in Albemarle County Circuit Court. The agreements were also signed off on by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. University officials expressed their heartfelt condolences for the loss of the three students and mentioned their contributions to the UVA community through their academic and athletic achievements. The shooting incident, which led to a 12-hour lockdown of the campus until the suspect was apprehended, has prompted the university to implement changes to its campus safety policies and procedures.
Following the shooting, the university sought an external review to evaluate its response to the incident, including previous assessments of potential threats such as Jones Jr. The report, completed in October, was initially intended for release in November but was delayed due to concerns about influencing the suspect’s trial. The families of the victims are advocating for the immediate release of the report, viewing it as crucial for public safety and national security. Perry’s mother emphasized the need for transparency and understanding of what occurred to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
In light of the settlement, the families of the victims expressed mixed emotions and continued to grapple with the profound impact of the shooting on their lives. Brenda Hollins, the mother of Mike Hollins, described the ongoing struggle of addressing the emotional toll of the incident, highlighting the devastating and long-lasting effects on the victims’ families. Despite the financial compensation provided by the settlement, the families stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, and learning from the investigation report to prevent future acts of violence on college campuses.
